Fool's Journey
by Orin Drake
Summary: 4th in the Sins series. Takes place immediately after Descendants of the Mundane, Kyrie once again finds herself with plenty of reason to be bitter... or something like that. 81805 Story complete.
1. Chapter 1

Fool's Journey and the general overall concept of Fool's Journey are completely copyright Orin Drake 2005, as are the characters Kyrie Almasy Leonhart Kinneas (whew!), Rodger Kinneas and John Sparda. The name/idea of Sparda and the weapons Ebony and Ivory are copyright Capcom. The names of Griever, Vincent Valentine, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, Seifer Almasy, Rinoa Heartily, Quistis Trepe, and probably a million other things I'm forgetting are copyright Squaresoft. Riku, Sora, Traverse Town, Leon, the Heartless, Ansem, the Unknowns and a million others are copyright Square and probably Disney... and whatever I've forgotten likely doesn't belong to me, so... let's not worry about it. Sheesh.   
Background: Yes, this is a strange fourth installment in the _Sins_ universe, taking place immediately after Descendants of the Mundane... although I wouldn't consider it as a real part of the trilogy (ignoring the fact that it would not be a trilogy if I included this, of course) itself; it's more of a very... odd offshoot. I blame Yoko Kanno's "Strangers" (from _Wolf's Rain_) for this ever actually starting. I mean, the muses were telling me to do this for some time now, but... that was the straw that beat the crap out of the poor camel. The camel's name is Bruce, by the way. Anyway, this was... a weird idea. But I just had to do it. I don't know why, I just did.   
As for **_WARNINGS_**: uh... sex, sexuality, violence, and a lot of general oddities. No distinction made between "'types' of sexuality" or individual moralities... and overall just a strange sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate. If you've read The Sins of Two Fathers, Retribution Nor Redemption, or Descendants of the Mundane, then you'll know what to expect. If not... then... uh... don't judge the rest of them by this. Heh. 

Fool's Journey   
Chapter 1   
By Orin Drake 

"Surreal" was not enough of a word to explain the feeling, nor the circumstances, of exactly how she'd wound up on the living room couch with a not-at-all-drunk-_seeming_ Vincentsave the length of time it actually took him to unbutton his dress shirt. He could still throw a vicious glare at her when she was laughing at him, though... not that she felt it as harshly through the nice buzz she had going, but that much was barely there. No, it was the surrealness that was its own interesting drug.   
Kyrie didn't wait. She'd been waiting long enough, by her standardsthe instant he'd managed to step out of his pants without stumbling, she pulled him down on top of her. _My game_, she mouthed with a grin that was only made possible by her absolute certainty.   
"The fuck it is." He growled softlyknowing it to be a lost cause. The feel of a woman against him was plenty enough to keep him there. It'd been so long... realizing _who_ was below him caused a momentary halt to his motions, however. She was... consenting, right..?   
A ridiculous question, she believed. And one she cleared his mind of with a long, slow, controlled and well-earned rotation of her pelvis against his. Ah, wasn't she despicable... preying upon the weak, the drunk, and the sexy.   
He hissed through his teeth, surprised and annoyed at how easily she had knocked his walls down to the point where he was nearly a mass of hormones worse than any teenager could aspire to. Though, clearly, he had one advantageand he used it with all his power.   
Her fingernails found their way into his shoulders just as easily as she'd been penetrated. The _bastard_not that she expected any less. And not that he'd been entirely vicious, either; the initial thrust was rough, but not completely seated. She took a breath like a dying person mightall gasp and desperation. After all those years, after so long of back and forth, he was finally... and oh Hyne how he was...   
_Flash_   
She blinked quickly. Something was... that hadn't been... Must have been her imagination. For a moment, she swore she'd seen... something there. Some other... place, entirely. Not that she was surprised... she could have been viewing heaven, for all she knew. What a thought  
**_Flash_**   
Longer, that time. Absolutely not able to be ignored, that timebut it was too late to go back. The situation itself mixed with the gorgeous visage above, the sensations around and within... there was no reason to stop the flood. She let it rush over her, amused at how many seconds she'd finished before he had. Whew, she'd be extremely tired after this one... 

_FLASH_

The most fucking _horrible_ headache... It'd been distant at first, as if it were hidden in the dark behind her eyes... She didn't bother opening them for a moment, taking time to reflect. Well. That was... wow. The most unexpected thing ever. Even given the circumstances.   
She rolled over, a little surprised to see... sunlight(?) fall across her closed eyelids. It was certainly too bright to be a lamp. Had she really slept that long? On the couc  
...Wait. That definitely wasn't the couch under her. Vincent hadn't really taken her to her bedroom after, had he? It was sorta sick-romantic, sure, but...   
Opening her eyes revealed a surrounding that her brain was not capable of embracing. Nor understanding. It was... a room she'd never seen. But worse... it was... i-it...was...   
It _couldn't_ be. It just... there was no way. It was _not_ possible. Must be a dream... a really real, all too nightmarish dream of the strangest ideas... But... she could not deny the details. Even after blinking, after taking the time to breathe... Dream or no, she had to give in. Just... to know. "S-Squall?"   
He flinched back from her bedside as if she'd stricken him. It was a surprised reaction, uncomfortable. "Have we met?" he finally managed. Even he couldn't deny how similar she looked to him, but... he was so certain he'd never seen her before.   
How... how fucked up was this? Was her brain just being incredibly cruel? Or was that... was that fucking Squall with longer hair? There was no moisture on her tongue... but there weren't any words she could think of to speak, anyway. There was just... nothing. A great lot of shocked... nothing.   
Seeming to realize that she wasn't going to continue the conversation herself, the spitting image of Squall cleared his throat, leaning forward again. "I have to tell you..."   
The very tone of his voice caused her to sit up. Maybe not the smartest thing with her headache, but... it was necessary. She recognized the tone. Exactly what was more horrifying about that was not something she could afford herself to think about.   
He continued despite the piercing eyes drilling into him. "Your world..." He sighed, never quite knowing where to go with that. "It's gone."   
There was a pause the likes of which could have been plenty of time and ample silence to birth a universe. There had been shocks in her life, certainly... but this... It was in his eyes... in the way he said it, and those eyes... truth. A sad, disturbing lack of lying. She surprised herself by being able to speak. Slowly. Deliberately. "I... It's... gone?" She could _feel_ her control slipping... sliding down an incline, leaving sanity and her reserve behind as the nightmare reality flooded in.   
He nodded, recognizing the perfect calm of the words... hiding a raging inferno underneath. It would be best to leave her alone. Now. "I'll... be outside. At least, someone will be. If you need anything." 

He closed the door behind him, unable to hold in the flinch with the sound from the other side.   
Screaming. Wordless, thoughtless, purposeless screaming. The most horrific, lost and directionless screaming. Reasoning ceased with a seemingly endless wailing of loss and agony, furniture crashing, glass shatteringeventually breaking down into wracking sobs and fists to the wall.   
He wished he were able to do that. It didn't seem that many people could. Usually when they found out that their worlds were gone, that here was nothing to go back to... it was a comatose silence. There was no rage for a very long time, and even then it was usually a quiet one. This... was relatively new.   
He walked down the hallway and into another room to sit for a while. It never did get easier... not that he could admit it.   
And of course who would greet him but an eternally perky Yuffie... looking a little less than perky. Clearly, she'd heard. "She woke up, huh?"   
He swallowed, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame rather than sitting down. It didn't seem right to do either... as if his skin were crawling in too many directions for him to stay still. The sounds from the other room were dying down to silence... and he thought perhaps that was as good a time as any. "Go talk to her."   
She blinked, looking almost immediately like her normally amused self. "_Me_! You've got to be kidding, Squall."   
"_Leon_, Yuffie." He turned away, somehow keeping the growl in his throat quiet. "She called me by that name, too."   
Well, that certainly got the gloating smile off her face. "She... knew your name? Well then _you_ should go talk to her."   
"You're a girl." His tone was nearly accusatory.   
She threw her hands up in the air, not that he was turned to see her. "No kidding, genius."   
He turned, trademark glare obvious. "I mean, that _you_ should go talk to her."   
"She might know you." Yuffie suggested in a nearly hushed tone. It'd been so long since they'd found anyone else they knew...   
"I don't know her." He settled the subject.   
"Oh, come on." She prodded. "She's cute! Go for it!"   
The blush was almost nonexistent... almost. "_Yuffie_!"   
"Oh, don't give me that Mr. Brooding Coldheart routine." She dismissed too easily. "You know you're the 'bad boy with a heart of gold', and I bet she's a sucker for it."   
An extremely long silence followed that. At last he began to walk back down the hallway. "...Shut up." 

He knocked first. Why, exactly, was unclear... but it's just the thing one did, regardless of circumstances. It was only polite, anyway. He remembered that much. When there was no answer even after the second series of knocks, he gently turned the handle, pressing the door open to peek in. To his pleasant surprise, she was still alive. She was standing at the shattered window, looking out. Shaking, but just a little. Arms tight around herself. It was far from cold outside, but she wouldn't have been able to tell with the cold sweat over her body.   
"Are you... better?" Only after the question hung in the air did he realize how stupid it'd sounded. Too late to change it, though.   
She swallowed hard, trying to control her breathing, let alone her voice. "No." Exactly why she'd reacted like that... well, it wasn't surprising. At least, she'd think so later. The thought, the very idea... of Rodger and John... Cloud, Vincent... Laguna... the rest... Hyne, all the rest... where were they..? Where was she? What the hell had happened? And... was it all... lost? Everything she loved and fought for...   
"It's... a normal reaction." The cold voice glided over her problems easily.   
She laughed bitterly, sounding more like a mild choking in her dry and weakened throat. "You really are Squall, aren't you?"   
The question ground his mind to a halt. What had she meant by that? And why was he so... loathe to ask?   
"Where am I?" Her voice was no stronger than it had been... but at least the headache was gone.   
"This is Traverse Town." He responded, oversimplifying severely. "Did... I know you..?"   
What a question. What a horrible question that raised many other horrible questions... she turned, hardly steady on her feet, to face him. Hands still trembling enough to see, she pulled Griever out from under her shirt, showing off the metal insignia.   
It took him a moment to recognize it, to take note of its form and symbolism... and how it was the exact copy of his own, lost years ago. He just about fell to the floor with that shock. "H-how..?"   
"Griever, right?" she found her voice starting to work again, gaining strength even when the rest of her still felt wounded.   
"Yes..."   
She tucked the pendant back into her shirt, trying to swallow with a dry throat. "This was a gift. From the Squall I knew."   
Those words... were so odd. And why he picked up on it so easily... "I-I'm... not the Squall you knew..?"   
She turned back to the window, as if to get a breath from the outside. She... had to. "Couldn't be. He's dead. And... well, never had that hairstyle."   
He found himself blinking at that. At the simplicity of the words... the matter-of-factness behind the tone. "I've... never run into... that, before."   
She watched him out of the corner of her eye, wondering just what the hell he was talking about. "So... what _is_ this place? Really."   
"A... world." He tried to leave it at that, but clearly she was not satisfied. "This is usually where the... refugees wind up. From... other worlds."   
"That... don't exist anymore." She finished the thought.   
"Yes." He confirmed, quietly. Maybe he shouldn't have... and maybe he shouldn't have said anything at all, but... "Why don't you... sit down for a little bit."   
The option didn't seem all that satisfying... but it was better than trying to hold herself upright under her own power. There was a table and chairs, or there was the bed she'd been in before... somehow the bed seemed the better option. She sat heavily, faced toward him but not looking at him. It was too hard in too many ways.   
He wasn't quite sure what he ought to do next. Admittedly, a part of him would have liked to sit next to her. Though, time and experience told him how unintelligent that move could be... "Leon."   
Interest piqued, she finally looked at him. Head tilting to the side, she didn't question that new bit of information with words.   
"My name." He corrected himself. "Is Leon."   
She closed her eyes for a moment. _No it's not._ She grinned a little, internally. "Leon..." The word itself didn't seem... right. But, it was better than calling him by her father's name. "I'm Kyrie." _And you clearly want to sit down, so you might as well._   
As if swayed by her thoughts, he rocked forward a little, pausing... then finally decided to join her, sitting a good distance from her but on the same side of the bed. "Griever..." he pressed, quietly. "And that name... 'Squall'..."   
She really wasn't certain if she should expand upon those things. The way he was sitting next to her, the barely perceptible possibility of warmth underneath that cold heart for all the world to see... Well, it was amusing in its own twisted sort of way. But she had no reason to withhold the truth. "The Squall I knew... was my dad."   
He looked... very uncomfortable with that idea. Clearly he himself was too young to have fathered her, but... the idea...   
As long as questions were being asked... "Did you... know Seifer?"   
There was a nearly imperceptible shiver at the memories of that name. "Yeah. Yeah, I... did."   
Bitterness lived in that statement... but she could just as easily read some sort of fond memories, as well. Not that she expected all things to be similar... between worlds. "Ah."   
A strange kind of question to allow to drop like that. "Was he in your life?"   
What a strange subject to be on... but not surprising, she supposed. "He was... my father."   
It took several beats to understand exactly what she was saying, what it inferred. He blinked at the idea, very... confused. "Who was your mother, then?"   
She let herself be amused, a little. "Well, it was a subject not normally spoken of. But, Rinoa Heartily."   
A long pause ensued. "Holy Hyne."   
She couldn't help the mild laughter that bubbled up at his reaction. "I guess things aren't _so_ different between universes..." Her eyes closed suddenly on their own volitionrealization. "Did you find... anyone else..?"   
His stomach clenched. It got harder, over time. He'd never expected that. "No." Another long moment of silence passed... one that he could stand no longer. "You had... a lot of people in your life?" Whatever kind of a stupid. idiot question that was...   
She appreciated it, though. Somehow. Just remembering them... was painful, but necessary. "My husband, Rodger... and there was John, Vincent, Cloud... Laguna, Elle, Quistis..." Many others. So many others... her chest was getting tight, throat burning with restrained emotion.   
He noticed, brilliantly sorry he'd asked. "I know... the last three names..."   
She nodded, trying desperately to swallow it all back. "Was your Quisty one hell of an awesome bitch?"   
He even shocked himself with a short chuckle. It died on his lips almost as soon as it was bornbut it had lived for a moment. "Yes. Yes, she was."   
Silence... was not welcome. Somehow silence had become her enemy. Anything that forced her to remember, so vividly... "And what is going on here?" Anything to distract her... anything at all...   
As much as he realized that she wasn't asking to hear the seriousness of the situation at hand... he responded honestly. "We're all getting ready for another battle." He sighed deeply. "Sora's coming back."   
It sent shivers through her. Another battle... getting ready for battle... "And Sora is?"   
"The Keyblade Master..." he trailed off, understanding at last that she had absolutely no concept of what he was saying. "Our hope. _The_ hope. He's been gone for... a really long time."

* * *

I don't know what got into me... and damned if I know where the hell this one is going or what's going on exactly, but... the muses must be fed. Even if it means my complete and total insanity for it. But, I figure it's not like I'm writing this for anyone but myself, so if anyone else enjoys it... good for you guys. If not... good for me and my muses.   
If you'd like to be e-mailed when I update, drop me a line with whatever story/stories/website you'd like me to inform you of. 


	2. Chapter 2

Fool's Journey and the general overall concept of Fool's Journey are completely copyright Orin Drake 2005, as are the characters Kyrie Almasy Leonhart Kinneas (whew!), Rodger Kinneas and John Sparda. The name/idea of Sparda and the weapons Ebony and Ivory are copyright Capcom. The names of Griever, Vincent Valentine, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, Seifer Almasy, Rinoa Heartily, Quistis Trepe, and probably a million other things I'm forgetting are copyright Squaresoft. Riku, Sora, Traverse Town, Leon, the Heartless, Ansem, the Unknowns and a million others are copyright Square and probably Disney... and whatever I've forgotten likely doesn't belong to me, so... let's not worry about it. Sheesh.   
Background: Yes, this is a strange fourth installment in the _Sins_ universe, taking place immediately after Descendants of the Mundane... although I wouldn't consider it as a real part of the trilogy (ignoring the fact that it would not be a trilogy if I included this, of course) itself; it's more of a very... odd offshoot. I blame Yoko Kanno's "Strangers" (from _Wolf's Rain_) for this ever actually starting. I mean, the muses were telling me to do this for some time now, but... that was the straw that beat the crap out of the poor camel. The camel's name is Bruce, by the way. Anyway, this was... a weird idea. But I just had to do it. I don't know why, I just did.   
As for **_WARNINGS_**: uh... sex, sexuality, violence, and a lot of general oddities. No distinction made between "'types' of sexuality" or individual moralities... and overall just a strange sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate. If you've read The Sins of Two Fathers, Retribution Nor Redemption, or Descendants of the Mundane, then you'll know what to expect. If not... then... uh... don't judge the rest of them by this. Heh. 

Fool's Journey   
Chapter 2   
By Orin Drake 

There was a long silence that she didn't want... wasn't interested in pursuing... but it seemed impossible to break. A million destructive thoughts were filling her head, each one more empty and horrible than the next. It was an anguishing cycle that kept getting harder and harder to break... Every person she had ever known in her lifetime was flashing through her thoughts, every experience and story she'd been told by everyone, every last interaction she could remember--   
"I have to get going." Leon stated, looking down at her.   
When had he stood up..? No, she knew she'd been lost in a collapsing tower of waking nightmares. And she was quite grateful for being broken out of them. She'd heard him speak, but the words didn't even knock at her conscious mind. Not that it mattered--all she had to do was stand and walk after him, out of the room. Following down the hall, she took note of the building being a hotel. Well... that was interesting. A turn into the last room down the hall, and she was somewhat surprised to see another person there.   
Leon took the initiative--mostly so the ninja wouldn't run off at the mouth and wind up embarrassing all of them. "Yuffie, this is Kyrie. Kyrie, this is Yuffie." Done speaking regardless of who might argue, he stepped into the corner and retrieved his gunblade.   
Kyrie took a moment to stare at the weapon. It was... similar to her dad's Leonhart... but extremely different, at the same time. She could feel the back of her throat burning, and knew the subject needed to be buried. She pressed it all away as best as she could, trying the same polite, easy smile she used for dignitaries. "Hello, Yuffie."   
"Hello!" the girl responded instantly, pleased to be noticed by anyone other than Cold Fish Leon. "I, uh... hope you're doing better."   
Sincere, enough... though not quite the sentiment she was hoping for. "Well, my headache's gone."   
That was unexpected. The perky, scantily clad ninja paused for a moment, not quite sure of what to say--until she noticed the laughter in Leon's eyes. He knew something that she didn't... and that wasn't fair. "Well, I... I'm glad to hear it."   
Seeing a person that finally took the perk out of Yuffie due to utter confusion was greatly satisfying. Regardless, the male gunblader did have things to do. "Show her around, okay?"   
Yuffie turned to him with hands on her hips as if she always spoke to him that way. "Afraid I've got things to do, _Leon_. Things _you_ gave me to do."   
Oh. Right. Well then. "Can you take her?"   
The glare answered enough... but that didn't stop her from filling out her response verbally. "I don't think she'd be thrilled with trudging along with me in the waterways. Would you?"   
Oh, to be asked. Everyone Kyrie knew, knew better than to ask her--she'd always choose the best option to bust someone's balls. She didn't bother letting that thought travel further into the realm of bleak memory--she let a grin through instead. "No. Thrill would not be a part of that."   
Yuffie turned back to the sighing brunette as he rolled his eyes, giving her own _"Well, see?"_ look. "You two seriously need to bond, anyway. Since he's the one that dressed you and all."   
The room was encompassed in silence. A rather stupid variety coming from Kyrie's direction... and a horribly embarrassed one from Leon's corner. She didn't quite know what was meant by... the entire sentence until... she glanced down and realized... she wasn't wearing her own clothes. Eyes widening with comprehension, remembering the last place (and lack of clothes) she'd been before she'd "woken" in this world... the only thing she could do... was laugh.   
Leon turned to hide his blush-stained cheeks. This was just... too weird. For too many reasons to fathom. Not that he thought the new girl among them could possibly find the situation any less weird; she just had a funny way of showing it. Or had learned a different defense mechanism entirely.   
Yuffie, however, had not recovered from her own words. She wasn't normally the sort to be at all apologetic for anything she'd ever said... but this one was a little different. One hand had stopped mid-way to cover her mouth... but seemed to have discovered that there was no way it could cover the gaping maw as her jaw floated just above the floor.   
And still the newcomer laughed. Doubled over, she found it harder to breathe than it had been in some time. She gave herself several minutes to calm down, gather her sense, and stand upright before she was able to speak again... and she made sure she was catching those still-embarrassed blue eyes. "Don't think you get to peek for free. I'm tagging along with you."   
Was it that simple? Were things really that easy? And why did he find himself completely able to meet her eyes? Not important--he took a motionless moment to compose himself. "I have to go see... a friend of mine. And I'd rather not leave you alone here."   
Impressively evasive comeback, she had to admit. "Is that an invitation?"   
The harshness was right back in front again, as if it'd never been cracked in the first place. "If that's how you'd like to take it."   
Hyne. No wonder Squall's nicknames included Shiva and Cold-Hearted Pretty-Boy Bastard. That last one was probably Seifer's alone... and plenty enough to keep a closely-held bounce in her step as she followed him--leaving a still gaping ninja behind. 

There was a great deal of absolute silence as she followed his military pace, trying to keep up as she took in all of the sights. They seemed to be in a quaint little village, full of shops and interesting places... but not very populated. If at all. Up some stairs and through a set of wooden gates were more wonders, but still lacking... life. She simply had to ask. "Where is everyone?"   
He kept walking... somewhat amazing himself that he didn't trip as he reflected quickly on her words. "Gone."   
This one would be a challenge, alright. "_Where_ did they go, Scarboy?" That last word had very much slipped past her defenses--and really, she hadn't even been thinking about it. Once in a while, that was what Seifer used to call him in his smartassed way...   
That much did cause him to pause and glance back. For a moment, just the flicker of a second, there was almost a look of violence in his eyes... but it passed. It wasn't her fault. She hadn't done... anything. It was, not, her fault. Sometimes he just needed to repeat that to himself, over and over. He noticed the motion of her throat as she swallowed, having viewed his reaction all too clearly... and he felt awful about it. "Most of them are dead."   
She blinked, having even forgotten the question she'd asked before she'd been on the receiving end of that shard of searing ice. It wasn't as though she had never been aware of her dad's power... but that look was certainly enough to drop a T-Rexaur at thirty paces. She didn't suppose there was much more to ask, let alone to say... so she was silent the rest of the way to the gates of the town itself.   
Until they opened upon the strangest vehicle she'd ever seen. It was like a big block of... blocks. Brightly colored and very surreal, even given the situation. "And we're going..?"   
"To another world." He answered promptly.   
Well, she just had to ask, didn't she? Quietly, she followed his lead, stepping into the cockpit that opened at the touch of his fingers. It was small, but comfortable. "Very Ragnarok." She commented, mostly to herself, sitting in the copilot's position.   
The glance was subtle, but there. Universes really weren't that different... so he wondered, sealing the door and initiating the engine sequence... "What happened to Zell?"   
Not a question she had any desire to answer... but somehow it wasn't one that caught her off-guard. "It wasn't pretty."   
He left it at that. Not a need to hear much more. He found himself more careful about avoiding eye contact than he hoped to be... but it seemed she was too mesmerized by the astoundingly trippy visuals outside the ship. Just, too... weird.   
And then she noticed something moving. "What's that?"   
"A Heartless ship." He left the explanation simplified. She'd pick up on it, eventually. "I'll try to avoid it."   
"Are there weapons on this... thing?" she couldn't quite avoid the most obvious curiosity.   
With that, a panel was pressed and a whole other set of controls came forward. Cold-Hearted Leon he was... but pride was a part of that.   
The very suggested edge of a cocky grin actually set her at complete ease. She sat back in her seat and watched the show as they flew past odd configurations of blocky figures, occasionally opening fire on a ship or two. Were she in a completely sane state of mind, she just might question his motives... but as it was, all she could fathom was to bear witness rather than act. Perhaps she'd "acted" enough earlier... hopefully she wouldn't be charged for that room...   
The end of their journey found a... very odd... rock. No, not a _rock_, exactly... but not a planet, either... Some... very strange... "other thing" that she somehow intuned represented another world. It was like a dream image when she tried to focus on it, it wouldn't come... but if she just glanced at it, it became perfectly clear. Until the moment she tried to make some sense out of it, anyway.   
And then... they were suddenly on solid ground. Just like that. A snap of fingers, a blinked they were somewhere else. She looked curiously at her guide, hoping he had any logical explanation.   
He shook his head. "The science of it is too far beyond me."   
That was a shame... but perhaps a better thing. Keeping her mind on a mystery... keeping it running elsewhere for a while... She turned and followed him toward an immensely huge building, statues of warriors and pillars to either side; certainly enough to draw her attention from everything else. It looked like... a coliseum. Not that she'd ever seen more than artist's renderings, and the warrior garb was quite different from anything she'd ever seen, but... wondering exactly who the hell Squa--_Leon_ had to visit occupied her.   
"You should wait here." He announced at the steps.   
A great thought and all, but... "That doesn't really mean I'll take your suggestion."   
He supposed that he knew that already. Turning without another word, he merely expected her to follow.   
And she did so, silently, keeping in all of the little, seemingly useless and child-like questions about the building, its purpose, who the scary little _beast_ in the corner was that only glanced at them as they walked by--stepping straight into the fighting arena itself. Well, that was one question answered; this was definitely a battleground. As for how serious things got... she imagined perhaps she may not want to ask about that.   
There was a figure just inside, on the edge, though. That was easy enough to make out. A figure in red and black with a shock of blon--   
Her eyes widened at the vision before her. It was... sort of Cloud. Well, it certainly did look like him... but that expression on his face... a hardness in his eyes that she never could have imagined. She knew there was unimaginable fire beneath his calm, knew mental barriers erected just to keep himself from thinking too much on the past had been established a long time ago, but... this one... The Cloud she suddenly faced, even from her distance, was just... beaten all to Hell. Mentally, emotionally, and physically. It was... quite heart-wrenching to look upon, let alone be in the living presence of.   
Who was that girl, walking with Leon toward him...and why was she looking at him like that, he wondered. He knew he'd never seen her before, though her gaze did hold a familiar quality. The thought of it made the hair on his neck prickle--not that anyone would have noticed. Certainly not that he'd admit to. Turning from her (regardless of his mind screaming that he should pay more attention), he greeted with a low, quiet tone. "Leon."   
The brunette nodded--formalities over. "Is everything set?"   
"As much as possible." Cloud responded in a way that could make Squall's cold freeze even harder.   
Kyrie watched, feeling far more distant than she was. Things between them were... at such a disturbing polar opposite than those same figures in her own world. She wanted to know so much about it... and that curiosity was more than likely to get her into even more trouble in a universe that she did not belong within. They said a few more things to one another, in flat voices and strained eye contact, but she wasn't paying attention to that much. Her mind was wandering back to her general situation, regardless of how much she didn't care for it to do so.   
She did, however, catch Cloud's last comment, "Absolutely insane. And dangerous."   
"Sounds like Sephiroth." She whispered to herself. Unfortunately for her, she hadn't realized just how good the blonde's hearing was.   
His eyes _raged_. There was nothing left but that terrifying anger in them--not thought, not passion. All that existed was that _name_ that she had whispered so knowingly. Only rage.   
She'd never suspected him of that kind of speed. And certainly not to use that kind of force as he thrust her against a pillar on the edge of the fighting circle. Bad memories for her, to say the least--only this time she couldn't breathe for multiple reasons. There was the flash of a moment when she thought a rib or two may be broken, if not the shoulder blades pressing against stone crumbling behind her from the impact.   
"Cloud!" she heard Leon by some miracle, coming through the blood pounding in her ears in the too-short moment before the pain hit.   
Even louder, however, were the screamed demands from the blonde as he grasped a first hold of her throat. "_How do you know his name?_"   
Well. What an idiot she'd been for speaking. Not that those thoughts were the clearest in her mind; it was more in a whirl from wondering if she ought to fight him off or not.   
"_How do you know his name_!" he demanded again with barely a pause from the last time he'd asked, using both hands to shake her by the collar.   
Neck released and allowed breath, she took what she could to respond--there was no doubt in her mind that if she chose to remain silent, things would be broken in a rather permanent way. "Let go of me, Cloud." She kept her voice as calm as her exterior--hoping more than almost anything she could remember that he would prove to be very much like the Cloud Strife she knew.   
"And how do you know mine?" he hissed quietly, but full of poison. His grip lessened only slightly, not at all ready or willing to release her.   
"I said, let go of me." Who he reminded her of was no longer of any relevance; her tone held more venom than his voice could ever imagine. Again she was calm, almost gentle... but she was clearly not going to ask again.   
He pondered that idea for a moment, knowing full well that he was one of the greatest fighters in all the worlds that remained... but maybe... looking into her eyes, it didn't seem like he should be challenging her in the current situation. Carefully, his grip wavered until she slipped quite casually from his fingers, sliding down until she was sitting where she had been released rather than running or making a move against him. Well... that was... interesting. "How do you know his name?" he tried again, dangerously quiet.   
There was no reason not to be honest... but she would be very broad in description. "I knew... a version of him." She paused, thinking her statement over. "That is, I knew... uh... well, see, he was sort of in my head a while after he kidnapped... but then I had his blood because..." she trailed off, recognizing the blank stares. "It's a lot to explain."   
Cloud blinked--but his face remained perfectly stoic. "I suppose you did know him." No danger... yet...   
_My turn._ She didn't dare speak aloud for fear he may decide he was in no mood to answer questions. "That... that claw..." she started tentatively. "I... where did you... get it?"   
He looked down at the hand she referred to, turning it over and making a fist before slowly extending the fingers. The look on his face was very... forlorn. Regretful, maybe. "It's... kind of a trophy, in a way."   
She was pretty sure she'd rather not know the rest of the story. It was the perfect replica of Vincent's...   
He couldn't help but notice that she hadn't answered his other question... but perhaps silence was best for the situation. He turned slightly to glimpse the still motionless Leon behind him, just watching. "You should go back, now. There's still a lot to do."   
The brunette didn't argue--only nodded once again and waited for Cloud to walk back into the entrance building to the coliseum. That much done, he turned his attention to the girl sitting against the wall... just watching him. "I don't even know what that was about."   
She took a deep breath--instantly regretful, pain bursting through her chest and all over her back. "Ow."   
As if only then realizing exactly what had happened, he walked to her side and delicately helped her to stand... then stood there while she attempted to find a way to stay upright without her spine hurting too badly. "This is all very unusual." He admitted, patient enough to stay there for as long as he was needed.   
Luckily, she hadn't been hurt _that_ badly... but there would be bruises. Oh, joy. Pleasant memories, there. "I will not disagree with you." 


	3. Chapter 3

Fool's Journey and the general overall concept of Fool's Journey are completely copyright Orin Drake 2005, as are the characters Kyrie Almasy Leonhart Kinneas (whew!), Rodger Kinneas and John Sparda. The name/idea of Sparda and the weapons Ebony and Ivory are copyright Capcom. The names of Griever, Vincent Valentine, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, Seifer Almasy, Rinoa Heartily, Quistis Trepe, and probably a million other things I'm forgetting are copyright Squaresoft. Riku, Sora, Traverse Town, Leon, the Heartless, Ansem, the Unknowns and a million others are copyright Square and probably Disney... and whatever I've forgotten likely doesn't belong to me, so... let's not worry about it. Sheesh.   
Background: Actually, this is just a side story taking place immediately after Descendants of the Mundane. It's meant only to set-up the next actual part in the Sins saga/universe/storyline, Ties That Bind and Tear Apart. In other words, you could skip it and be just fine if you wanted... well, mostly.   
As for **_WARNINGS_**: uh... sex, sexuality, violence, and a lot of general oddities. No distinction made between "'types' of sexuality" or individual moralities... and overall just a strange sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate. If you've read The Sins of Two Fathers, Retribution Nor Redemption, or Descendants of the Mundane, then you'll know what to expect. If not... then... uh... don't judge the rest of them by this. Heh. 

Fool's Journey   
Chapter 3   
By Orin Drake 

Kyrie leaned back against the wall to catch her breath, Leon at her side... but staring off into the distance. Yeah. Some help he was. If forced to admit it, she supposed that she should have known better than to have opened her mouth in the first place. _Mental note: never speak thoughts out loud again._ Not that it would be remembered, of course.   
Pushing herself away just enough to be sure of standing on her own, she tried a slow, deep breath. Not so bad. Not so good, obviously. Just as she was seriously contemplating finding that blonde bastard and returning the favor, he actually stepped out of the building he'd entered just a moment before, walking back toward them. All of a sudden she felt less desire to step up and whap him across the face. _Uh-oh._   
Luckily for her, not-quite-Cloud seemed to have another and much more important purpose in mind. The glowing blue eyes showed some mix of confusion and concern. "Leon... he's here."   
The brunette looked rather stunned at the news. "It's far too early." He insisted, quietly.   
"The fact remains..." Cloud countered with a definitive nod.   
Leon nodded back with a strained sigh. "We'll wait for him here. I'll take him back to Traverse Town to rest."   
Having nothing else of value to accomplish... the blonde gave the new girl a glance; noting a mildly vicious gleam in her eyes as she returned his stare. (Her moment of uncertainty had passed.) There was no _malice_ there... but it was clear that she was just the slightest bit pissed. Specifically at him.   
At least he had the chance to speak to her again... not that she looked all that thrilled about the possibility. Though, to her credit, she didn't look like she was backing down, either. It wasn't in his nature to be apologetic, let alone to give much of a damn. At least... it wasn't anymore. He stepped forward slowly, noting her continued eye contact turn more to curiosity than vengeance. "I shouldn't have reacted like that." He admitted, honestly. "I apologize."   
Kyrie blinked. Wow. That was... wow. Completely unexpected... but then, this was most certainly an alternate universe. "No problem. --Well, a little problem. But bruises heal and bones mend."   
He seemed genuinely pleased about her attitude... not that his expression showed it. "Hmph."   
It was at that point Leon decided it might be a better situation for him if he walked a bit away from them, seemingly to stretch his legs. In reality, he just didn't want to have to deal with whatever conversation was about to happen. Regardless of his curiosity.   
Kyrie watched him distance himself without a word, amused at the behavior. He probably came off as quite a jerk... and she found it funny. It was like glancing into a window that showed her dad as a younger man, really.   
Cloud continued, generally ignoring the other's behavior. He'd had practice. "I've never known anyone to come here from an... _alternate_ world. It's a curious situation."   
She was not one to disagree with that. "Perhaps I'm just in a coma somewhere."   
He grinned ever so slightly, just a moment's slip of his expression. "I've thought the same thing. Many times."   
_And nobody ever wakes up._ She tried to push away from her mind. "This isn't your world, either?"   
"Oh, it... it _was_." Memories needed slow and constant tending to, so that they would remain buried. "It's just not so... familiar anymore."   
Finding it hard to swallow, she wasn't quite able to respond. Waves of extreme loss and agony were hitting hard, almost bring her stomach over the edge with them.   
He noticed. There was no way he could have ignored it. "Things are happening. Again." It was a subtle subject change, but enough to draw her mind away from the past.   
She understood that sentiment, alright. Just not all the details. It gave her saliva enough to swallow, at least... and the courage to press an obviously delicate subject. "About... earlier..."   
It was his turn to keep his gut in check, not to mention his emotions. Perhaps some things were already understood without needing to be spoken. "Many years of... negative circumstances." Understated, but true enough. He looked away, at the ground, trying to gather the rest of his thoughts. "The last time I saw him..." He sighed, not knowing how to express it. "He just... smiled at me." The words make no sense, even as he spoke them; it was all he could clearly remember without... without having to... relive...   
How she'd kept the shiver away was anyone's guess. The inferences were enough. She knew too much of Sephiroth in her own reality, not willing to think of alternate cruelty. "I would not take him smiling at me as a good sign at all."   
She'd met him, alright. He agreed to her sentiment with a grunt, not caring to keep that line of thought open.   
Kyrie, however, was unable to block them again. It was as if her mind were flooding, a dam had broken apart. Anything to make the memories go away. Anything to dull the pain. _Anything_ to forget, just to press away the faces of her loved ones, gone forever...   
He instantly knew that look, those needs. His _life_ had been like that... Regardless of having just met her, knowing so little of her past... he felt for her. It was that dulled sort of feeling, nothing stronger having come through his worn emotions for too many years to explore... but the fact remained that he found himself wishing she didn't have that look in her eyes. He'd known hardness for a long time. Certainly in the world he inhabited, the one that used to be his home... he wanted to offer her hope.   
His wing extended unconsciously in his effort to calm her... and somehow not even all the collapsing walls of Hell attacked her with more inhuman claustrophobic fear. It was a painful ache that managed to stretch even beyond the cold darkness that the Lifestream couldn't reach... all contained within the vision of that wing. Just as Sephiroth--the crazy, vicious, horrible version of him--came to the forefront of her mind. She could feel the darkness behind the wing as though it were a purely tangible thing... gnawing viciously at every one of her senses.   
No. She did not like this world. This reality. It was... dauntingly awful. The bile in her throat was hardly held down with what willpower she managed to collect.   
"Kyrie?" she barely heard behind her. Her father's voice--and yet not her father--didn't help matters in the least bit.   
_Nope._ She answered in her mind, closing her eyes in an attempt to gain control. _I am not okay. And I don't think I ever will be again._   
Cloud could swear that he saw her falling, her sanity cracking right before him. His hand clasped on her shoulder to catch her, to give her strength, to grab her attention--but all it wound up doing was causing an influx of memory. The worlds were too similar and too different at the same time. The Darkness in Cloud's body seemed to fuse momentarily with the power in her Sorceress blood, causing bits and pieces of past events to rip open and unfold before her. She must have been especially sensitive to the cracks in the universe; it hurt her. Agonized her.   
"Please..." her voice came through in a thick, rough whisper. "Let go."   
_Why_ he didn't... why he _couldn't_ release her... he couldn't explain it. He _tried_ to let go, but his hands would not respond--something else seemed to be holding them there, almost feeling as if there were other hands pressing his fingers into her flesh--   
She _shoved_, but it didn't matter. Her strength was gone, and that hand would go nowhere until whatever was to be done, had been completed. Unfamiliar memories of worlds destroyed began to flood her consciousness; a history of what this Cloud had been through, and then some. No... the worlds were not as different as she'd have liked them to be... but no doubt, his life was full of suffering. Not always, no... but enough. And certainly recently.   
And then, there it was--Sephiroth's smile. Cold, gleaming eyes in love with pain and fear; they seemed to be staring right at her. Through her. Calling up things she remembered, and things that never happened in her reality.   
Footsteps. Over everything, by some graceful miracle, she heard shuffling feet. The one that could only be Sora stepped into the coliseum. His presence... at once, she could feel it destroying the forced connection between Cloud and herself. Free of that hell, she turned to see her savior... and wished he hadn't come at all. More connections. Not quite right. Indirect... but unable to be ignored.   
_Oh, Hyne. Fucking Hyne._ It couldn't get worse... it couldn't be more horrible. She... she _recognized_ him. He was older than when she'd... yes, she was certain. So sure that... that mindfuck in Hell, following John, when that devil had tried to get all of them trapped in their own thoughts, memories... illusions. She'd seen him then, not knowing what the hell he had to do with her life. Seen him as a kid... and there was no doubt in her mind that it was indeed the same person. If she was still hanging onto that little lump of substance inside her skull, that was.   
Leon managed to catch her as her legs locked--but she was able to avoid a complete faint. It was just kind of a... clutzy trip backwards. Yeah. She could live with that.   
And the new guy, Sora... he watched everything with an expression showing both blank curiosity and perhaps knowing too much. He may not have been able to work out or even explain exactly what had happened, but he'd... felt it. With slow steps, he walked to his old friends, and the somewhat unstable new girl. "Are you alright?"   
A compassionate voice, she was nearly surprised to hear. "No." She panted roughly, trying to regain any sense of clarity in her thoughts. "But I should be used to it by now."   
Silence. A worried, confused sort of silence from all directions.   
Amazingly, it was Leon who managed to break it. Perhaps the only one thinking clearly at that point, he glanced calmly between Kyrie and Sora. "Looks like you both need some rest." 

They had bid farewell to Cloud somewhat quickly; Kyrie because she was rather certain it was best for all concerned to merely leave, and Sora because he was eager to get to a place where he felt safe. The Gummi Ship's third seat was revealed... a rather cramped bit behind the other two, usually closed off by a small wall unless it was in use. Kyrie gladly agreed to sit there--she would have clung on the to outside hull just to get back to a place where she could break more things.   
Landing again at Traverse Town, Leon lead the way in silence back to the hotel. They stopped at a room on the far side, where their guide held the door open... for both of them. In turn, they glanced at one another and then back at Leon curiously.   
"It's the common room." He explained. "I have things to do. You may as well keep each other company."   
Well, with a warm and soothing invitation like that, who could refuse? Leon was glad to see them enter without argument, and moreso to know that he didn't have to baby-sit. Though, if he were to be honest with himself... he'd already seen enough pain for one day. Yes, it had been a long time since he'd gotten to see Sora. He'd have loved to sit down with him and catch up, but... it would have to wait until he could deal with it himself.   
If he thought he could just sneak out without anyone being the wiser, however, he was completely wrong. One step out the door of the hotel, he was assaulted with a loudly "whispered", "Leon!"   
"_What_, Yuffie?" he growled quietly, not breaking his stride.   
Unfortunately, she caught up. She always caught up. "You're leaving Sora already? You're leaving them alone? Together? You don't even know her! Not really, anyway!"   
"He'll be safe with her." He simplified, not slowing his pace.   
She kept up surprisingly well, even for her. "Are you sure?"   
"Yes." He answered definitively. He just... knew. It was better to leave them alone together than for him to attempt to strike up a painful conversation with either. 

The common room itself was something out of an old oil painting; one Kyrie remembered from a museum when she was a child. It was all dark wood and rich, full colors with large, over-stuffed chairs and a roaring fire in front of a semi-circle of various sitting spaces. It was... beautiful. Home away from home... not a thought she cared to keep in her head at the moment. She elected to distract herself by rifling through a small collection of books on a side table, instead.   
Sora took a moment to appreciate the decor, himself. It had been considerably re-done since the last time he had been there, somehow turning out more... "comforting" than last he remembered. Finding one of the plush sofas around the fireplace, he sat with a hiss of pain and stiffness. So old he felt, sometimes. But that pain was internal... in a way he never cared to describe, and hardly wished to think about at that moment.   
Kyrie joined seconds later, at the sofa to his right. While the furniture was turned to stare into the fire... she couldn't really take her eyes off him. He looked... so much more tired than she'd ever felt before. The weight of multiple worlds on his shoulders... Yeah. She could relate... but even she had to admit that she only knew so much about his situation. Certainly she'd had her own run-ins with fate or whatever the hell it was... but nothing the likes of which she saw in his eyes. The only polite thing to do was talk to him. Not to mention, she felt an extremely strong need to communicate with _someone_--especially him. "Sora, was it?"   
"Yeah." He grated quietly, sounding more than exhausted. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." Tired or not, he was determined not to forget his manners.   
"Kyrie." She carelessly tossed the word.   
He paled considerably. It was just... too close to memories... "Is there... anything else I could call you?"   
The question itself was puzzling... but she got the distinct indication that it was not the time for those kinds of questions. "'Ky' is popular." She forced herself to get somewhat comfortable, digging into the cushions so that her back was perfectly supported--and boy did that _hurt_. _Damn spiky blonde lunatic..._ a small smile at her lips as the thought spread throughout her mind.   
He nodded to himself, committing the name to memory. "I guess we're left alone for the night." He continued the attempt at conversation, suppressing an exhausted yawn. "How pretentious."   
In spite of all the _shit_ that had just happened... she greatly appreciated the sentiment with a chuckle. "At least they left us in a hotel. I think sleep is stalking the both of us."   
A small twitch of his lips agreed. "I haven't slept... in a long time. Not _really_ slept. I can't... can't remember what it's like to dream... without having nightmares."   
She shuddered at the horribly empty quality of his voice. At once she was both glad to have never wound up that way... and disturbed to know how close it had gotten a few times. It must have shown in her eyes, because she caught an answering nod before he turned to stare at the fire for a moment. The warmth and the crackle... it was kind of peaceful. Like those bonfires on Destiny Isl--augh. It still hurt to remember, sometimes.   
And that much she saw with a certainty. Memories had a way of being understood even when they couldn't be experienced directly. "I bet I can catch the basic layout of the kitchen. Should I try to find some tea?"   
"That'd be nice." He smiled a little, feeling relieved that she seemed comfortable. It was a contagious type of feeling... and one it didn't seem he encountered very often anymore. Once, he'd had many friends in all worlds... "But I should help--"   
"You're going to sit there and you're going to stay there."   
Were it not for the wink she'd given him at the end of her statement, he really would have thought that she'd given a direct order not to be questioned. Well. Who was he to deny her wishes?   
The kitchen entrance being obvious across from the fireplace, he watched her walk in... then turned back to the flames. His body begged him for sleep; and, honestly, so did every part of his conscious being. He didn't want to listen, though. He wanted the comfort of a hot cup of tea... of a new companion that seemed very much just as lost as he was... of no promises and no spoken assurances. The warmth of the fire was enticing his body to relax... something it hadn't done in a very long while.   
Kyrie called lightly from the kitchen, "Sugar? Cream? Whatever is in this jar that I'm too afraid to open? It's heavy and it doesn't make any noises when I shake it..."   
He was glad for the humor. "Nothing, thanks. It taints the caffeine."   
"Man after my own heart!" she congratulated him, searching for the cups.   
Funny... being called a man. Sometimes he felt like he was too old to still be alive... but every once in a while, he was just a boy again. When had that happened, manhood? Probably sometime soon after he'd started becoming addicted to caffeine.   
Again, she called to him. "How strong would you like your tea?"   
"Strong." He responded, wondering what kind she'd found. He used to _hate_ tea... until he began to deeply understand its calming properties.   
She poked her head in quickly, waiting for the kettle to boil. "Should have made coffee, then."   
"It's too late for coffee." His tone was completely deadpan, but his eyes held a bit of sparkle. It was one of Leon's little quirks. Any time after the sun had passed the height of the sky, it was "too late for coffee". Funny, that way.   
Had she known his line of thought, she'd have told him of how Seifer used to say Squall's favorite food group was coffee... but even that memory seemed too much. Fortunately enough, the kettle had begun to whistle, removing her from even the slightest possibility of that line of thought. She poured the boiling water over the tea bags in the teapot like a practiced servant, arranged the set on the fancy tray with two cups, the sugar bowl and the cream (both containers being empty, but looking nice). Sometimes it helped to be granddaughter of a president, showing up early to watch the staff set up for dignitaries. Of course, they never once betrayed just how heavy the damned trays actually got. She made it to the end table in the common room without a single spill, though. An achievement worthy of a decent cup of tea.   
Sora's face betrayed his exceptional appreciation of the service. "Thank you." He breathed in the scent of brewing tea deeply. So long... He watched her pour like a professional, curiosity about her situation invading his every thought. Subjects changed rapidly. "I don't mean to be forward," he began slowly (and in somewhat of a lie), "But... have you ever given thought to what illuminates your life?"   
"What a question." She admitted.   
Something about her truly did set him at ease. "Yes."   
She nodded, pouring her own cup and sitting with it before she responded. "I've had... a great many situations where I thought about why I was alive, if that's what you mean. This one, for instance."   
Her answer was interesting in itself. Perhaps pressing was too harsh of a thing at that moment... but he longed to converse so badly.   
"A light..." she whispered into her cup, unknowingly catching hold of one of Sora's deepest thoughts.   
He flinched a little at her words. Instead of being surprised... he felt the least bit ashamed, instead. "My light is... in the shadows." He sighed, sadly. "And I think it's... dimming." Why he had said that to a complete stranger...   
She sipped at the steaming liquid, enjoying the blend of flavors. More than tea, it was edged lightly with something herbal and minty that relaxed her throat. "I've known a few to insist that when a light dims, it's time to move on to a brighter one." Her voice was on the harsher side, expressing that such an idea was not her own.   
He nodded, knowing the thought himself... but never claiming it. Never once believing it. "I need hi--my light. I can't... leave it behind."   
"You shouldn't, then." She pretended not to have noticed the almost-slip... _"Him", huh? Yeah. Seems to be going around._   
But he saw it. That spark of recognition, of knowing his slip and understanding it completely. He'd learned a lot about recognizing those tiny signals from the eyes. Well... nothing worth hiding, anymore. Something about her, just being around her, made him feel absolutely comfortable. And, most surprising of all... it made him feel talkative. "He got... caught up. In the Darkness... He just couldn't hold up to everyone meddling... forcing..." He paused for a moment--to collect his thoughts and to calm his feelings with a shaking sip from his cup. "He tried. For too long." _For me._   
"Happens to the best of us." She responded quietly, eyes turning to the fire.   
If she were anyone else, he knew that he'd have interpreted those words to be something disgustingly callous--empty and worthy of a good keyblade-shaped scar. Something about... _her_, though... about how her eyes gazed far beyond the flames, to another world entirely... He knew that she wasn't dismissing him. Rather... she seemed to be trying to bring the situation down to an understandable level for them both. If that made any sense. He realized that he'd been staring at her while he pondered over her nature, and immediately apologized. "Didn't mean to... zone out like that."   
"It's the least of your worries, I think." She grinned slightly, taking another sip. There was... just something about him. It was weird, really. There was no reflection of him in her world, but... it felt like there almost ought to be. For every bit of comfort she seemed to offer to him, the same could be said for him to her.   
"And you?" For some reason he found himself incredibly interested in her reason for being there.   
Her reply took another sip and a long swallow to find its way out. "I've been informed that my world is gone." She started out, the nonchalant tone almost creepy even to herself. "So... there's really not much point in being anywhere but here."   
"You've... 'been informed'..." There really was something ridiculously funny about those words... but laughing seemed too hard.   
"If there is no more world of mine, then... I don't suppose there's much more to worry about." They made eye contact... broken only by her shrug. There was no use in being angry again. At least, not then and there. Later, probably...   
"But..." she continued, thoughtfully, "I was wondering if maybe... something else happened. Since my world seems to be more of an... alternate one to this. Since I knew a version of Cloud... Sephiroth. Sq--Leon..."   
All of a sudden, even through the serious tone, that was _very_ amusing. "Squleon, huh?"   
They giggled together, both overcome by a lack of sleep and a general need to be silly for a while. It certainly took the edge off. "It kinda fits." She agreed. "I doubt he'd think so, but... no one's going to ask him."   
Again they laughed, Sora eventually having to place his tea on the table so it wouldn't spill everywhere. He hadn't the advantage that Kyrie had, learning how to deal with holding a drink and laughing constantly.   
"Maybe..." she managed a slightly pained smile the entire time, "It's just that I don't want to think there's no light left in my life."   
A clear downer in any other conversation, it actually managed to be a thoughtful point. "We'd all like to believe." He countered, another sip taken. He shook his head, exhaustion taking hold of his mind for a moment. "He was... so much. And I didn't know it until he was gone."   
She took a deep breath with the sentiment expressed. To listen... seemed at once the most important thing she could do.   
"I fought for him." He continued, quietly. His eyes closed hallway, almost dreaming. "He was my light in the darkness. And he fought for me... way too often." His eyes opened then, realizing that he wasn't sleeping. "I'm sorry." He snapped out of his memories, apologizing for taking her ear without offering his own. "You most certainly have a light of your own."   
"I have many of them." She grinned for reasons she wasn't entirely sure she should divulge. Though... she got the somewhat strange impression that he just might understand. "But, yeah. I do have a husband." There was a... certain sense of necessity, using the present tense for those words; _do_, _have_. "And... others. That mean quite as much."   
A bittersweet smile crossed Sora's face. Yes, others... there were others, too. He'd lost touch until recently... His eyes closed again, but not with tiredness. It was enough to open up. The risk of crying in front of, for all intents and purposes, a stranger was not at all appealing.   
Emotion was thick in the room. Thick and familiar enough to burn. She reached out for his hand--then pulled back a bit. After that incident with Cloud... she just wasn't sure about contact with anyone else. And then there was his privacy, for that matter. Whatever he didn't tell her was none of her business. Simple.   
He gave her a bit of a shock when he grasped her hand first--and held on. The experience that followed was only less horrifying because it was _shared_.   
Had anyone been there to watch, they'd have only seen two people holding hands for several minutes, staring off into space. While that was weird enough in itself... the truth of the matter was quite a bit more surreal. With Cloud, Kyrie had been overcome with nothing but an influx of someone else's life. This time, it was an exchange. Thought for thought, as it were--the rush of experience went both ways, no less confusing but certainly preferred to being totally overwhelmed. It still hurt on a higher than simply physical plane, but... not so much. 

The disconnecting, the detaching of hands, seemed to come for them hours later. One glance at the clock told them otherwise... but time was a different sort of thing, sometimes.   
Kyrie was the first to sit back, blinking at the sheer unexpectedness. So. That figure that kept appearing in his mind... There was no need for verbal confirmation, the sad longing in Sora's gaze as he disconnected and sat back was quite enough. The corners of her lips found themselves wickedly uplifted for the shadow of a second, however. The boy had taste, she'd give him that. Dark powers notwithstanding... hey. Hottie in a robe. Beyond her libido, however... yeah. She... she understood. They'd been through... a hell of a lot together; heartbreaking... but empowering. The most lingering memory was the one of Sora granting his Light a mark across the chest to hold his memory together... It was the ultimate painful, romantic gesture, akin to her Squall's "A" shaped scar on his own chest. And, at least she finally knew why her name was such a... sore spot.   
The Keyblade Master swallowed, nodding slowly to himself. She had her own stories, alright... and a lot of them were quite enough to still be able to make him blush if he thought too much about them. Little though it mattered; she seemed to have her priorities firmly in place, in the end. It was the memory of the deaths of her parents that seemed to stay with him there. Himself, he didn't remember much of his parents... but at least he'd never had to see... that. To know what she did. And no wonder Sephiroth was spoken of in hushed, vicious tones regardless of where he traveled.   
Gentle, comfortable silence rested warmly between them as they finished their tea. At long last, and as expected, Kyrie was the first to comment... with a none too subtle thumbs-up. Hey, it inspired another welcomed gigglefest.   
"You've literally been through Hell." Sora chuckled comfortably.   
"Yes, well. It could have used some air fresheners, but it wasn't so bad." Almost lying more than joking, frankly... But she'd survived. They all had. It could have been a lot worse. Taking a deep breath due only to the fact that it felt good, she diverted the subject. "You need your rest."   
"I doubt I'm alone in that." He calmly accused.   
Her legs, shoulders, and spine most of all agreed with him. "True. But I'm used to it."   
"So am I." He countered.   
"So what?" she challenged in a friendly way. "We should have a staring contest now?"   
"A waking contest." He answered. "See who takes the longest to fall asleep."   
"Believe it or not, I'll pass." Not that it wasn't tempting... but she was hardly in the mood to be a competitive bitch.   
His eyes dropped for a moment, going over some of the memories he'd seen from her. Strange... now they were on an incredibly intimate level in some respects. All that in a heartbeat--it'd never happened before. And, honestly, he never wanted it to happen again, but... he didn't mind that one. Carefully, voice low and eyes diverted regardless of the teasing tone, "You're not going to..."   
It was then that she realized just how intimate they _had_ gotten in memory. It was far more amusing than anything. "What, come for you in the night?"   
Her humor and frankness very much slapped the teasing look off of his face, to be replaced by a child-like blush. He stumbled, but did not fall. "Uh, yes. Something like that."   
"Nah." She grinned. Sure she could hold his feet to the fire, but... there was no reason to be so cruel. "You're promised. I can respect that."   
As much as he'd come to know that her curiosity was close to suicidal... he had to admit that his was just a hair away. "But you would if I weren't 'promised', wouldn't you?"   
His tease earned quite the spectacularly wicked expression. "Strangely enough... I don't think I would."   
His head turned in an almost disappointed kind of way--before he caught himself. Curiosity overrode the rest. "And why's that?"   
"Well, kinky as it may be... you seem more like a brother." With that, she picked up the tray and went back to the kitchen.   
It was best to let it drop completely. He knew that. But the blush didn't disappear even as he followed. "I can help you clean up, at least."   
"Clean up?" she turned, leaving the tea set as it was on the counter. "That's Squleon's job."   
An unexpected giggle fit hit them as the agreement was reached. Hey, had to give the guy something to do besides sulk.

* * *

I think I might actually know where this is going, now. And it's a lot weirder than even I thought it might turn out. No promises on when I may update next, though. So much going on!   
If you'd like to be e-mailed when I update, drop me a line with whatever story/stories/website you'd like me to inform you of. 


	4. Chapter 4

Fool's Journey and the general overall concept of Fool's Journey are completely copyright Orin Drake 2005, as are the characters Kyrie Almasy Leonhart Kinneas (whew!), Rodger Kinneas and John Sparda. The name/idea of Sparda and the weapons Ebony and Ivory are copyright Capcom. The names of Griever, Vincent Valentine, Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart, Seifer Almasy, Rinoa Heartily, Quistis Trepe, and probably a million other things I'm forgetting are copyright Squaresoft. Riku, Sora, Traverse Town, Leon, the Heartless, Ansem, the Unknowns and a million others are copyright Square and probably Disney... and whatever I've forgotten likely doesn't belong to me, so... let's not worry about it. Sheesh.   
Background: Actually, this is just a side story taking place immediately after Descendants of the Mundane. It's meant only to set-up the next actual part in the Sins saga/universe/storyline, Ties That Bind and Tear Apart. In other words, you could skip it and be just fine if you wanted... well, mostly.   
As for **_WARNINGS_**: uh... sex, sexuality, violence, and a lot of general oddities. No distinction made between "'types' of sexuality" or individual moralities... and overall just a strange sense of humor that not everyone can appreciate. If you've read The Sins of Two Fathers, Retribution Nor Redemption, or Descendants of the Mundane, then you'll know what to expect. If not... then... uh... don't judge the rest of them by this. Heh. 

Fool's Journey   
Chapter 4   
By Orin Drake 

The sleep was not entirely satisfying, but at least it came. The tea had been calming enough, muscles relaxed a little from the quiet moment and the conversation... but perhaps the real reason for there having been rest at all was the draining effect the memories had on both of them. They emerged from their respective rooms with the smell of coffee and something of little nutritious value wafting from the kitchen, nearly running into one another in the hall with half-conscious grunts meaning, "Good morning."   
Sora was first to find a seat, paying slight (if any) attention to Yuffie's comment that she'd been sitting there. Little though it mattered, since she'd gotten up long ago to do something else.   
Kyrie had been trained to seek out the coffee first and foremost. She could have gone through walls if she had to--or through half-awake brooding young men that may be standing in the way. She might have mumbled something akin to "excuse me" as she actually managed to move Leon aside, but no one was paying that much attention. Out of sheer routine, she poured two cups full--not that Sora wasn't extremely appreciative of not having to get up and find some for himself. He could sleep on the ground in the freezing cold and leap up at the slightest sound of an enemy approaching... but rolling out of an actual bed, in the morning? Pft. It'd been a long time since he had coffee.   
The two late-sleepers were so involved in re-learning the ability to get cups to their mouths in order to absorb the caffeine, that they didn't notice the subtle exchange of glances between the other two. Yuffie only nodded, then left the room. She had the early patrolling to do... not that she appreciated it any.   
Seeing the ninja on, Leon carefully took his own cup of coffee with him to the table, sitting between the two yawning masses of... anything but warriors, it seemed. The benefit of the doubt was getting thinner when Sora's hand reached for a turnover and missed it by an inch or so.   
Glancing at Kyrie, however, yielded an unexpected surprise--her eyes were crystal clear... and expectantly meeting his gaze. It was obviously something she tried to hide with the quick blink, aversion, then the yawn that came immediately after... but it'd already been witnessed. She was paying the utmost attention.   
Well, if that was her desire... certainly Sora would catch up. "I think I've found something." Leon started off, getting straight down to the point. "An anomaly that might explain why you're here... or at least tell us how you can get back to your world."   
She didn't dare hope. She hardly responded, focussing more on the cup in front of her than anything else. "Oh?"   
He was trying not to watch her reaction. "Everyone who's arrived before you has come through a similar... rip in space, so to speak--but it's always been at the entrance to this town. The one I believe you've come through appears to be... moving. Opening in one location, closing, and moving to another. I believe if we can get you back to it..."   
She understood. She indicated such by nodding. Still no chance of letting herself hope, still giving no part of her mind to those specific possibilities.   
Sora, despite being the picture of a too-early riser, had been listening just as closely. He hadn't missed the subtle reactions, himself... and yet he wondered why she wasn't a little more hopeful about the news. Memories not withstanding... the possibility was pretty good if Leon thought there was a chance.   
What both gentleman missed at that moment was one, tiny sliver of a thought going through her mind. It had no right to do so. She had no reason to think it above anything else, certainly... but it was there, anyway. She forced herself not to bite her lip. After all, home was home, and she _did_ want nothing more than to go back... but...   
"It's not your place." Leon's voice was firm, but quiet, speaking over his cup before taking another swallow. How he'd caught the essence of her thoughts wasn't important--though he'd continue to wonder for some time afterward. "This isn't your fight."   
She turned to look at him, but his eyes were already lowered. Unwilling to meet her gaze, perhaps... but she spoke her heart, anyway. "I wish I could say it was that easy for me."   
"It... it really isn't your responsibility." Sora spoke up. Sad as his voice seemed in one sense (it wasn't as if he wished to see her go; he wanted very much to get to know her better)... it was knowledgeable. Wise and understanding. "You should go home."   
_I want to._ She didn't entirely want to speak up. _But I feel like this is... close. Part of me. I don't know why, but..._ "There's a bit of home, here."   
He understood, in his own way. But he wasn't about to let her stay out of any sense of... well, simply not for anything. She had too much waiting for her elsewhere. He would much rather miss her and know she was safe than have her stay and know she was miserable. If he'd had such a choice, he doubted he would have felt one instant's hesitation in going back home... but then, he understood that their circumstances were far from the same. "We'd both rather you didn't miss the opportunity to find your world again."   
She sighed, trying to keep it to herself... but nodded. Well... that argument was perfectly valid. And it ached a little. She still felt like she were abandoning them... but she did want to go home. She _needed_ to go home. She just... hated to leave them to what may well be a disaster. She could only imagine if Cloud or Vincent had done the same to her, way back when... She cleared her throat, banishing the thoughts. "So what now?"   
Leon took another long swallow of his coffee before responding. "We find out where the rift is, and get you to it as soon as possible."   
_Damn._ Playfully swam through her thoughts. _It's too early for this shit._ She gave a little bit of a smile, though. "I have time to finish my coffee though, right?"   
That caused him to blink, but not lose character. What a change of mood. "Yes. Be ready to wait." With that, the man lifted, pushed the chair back in, and left.   
Sora stared over for a reaction for some time... finally getting a shrug before Kyrie gulped down the rest of her precious drink--being sure to grab a turnover right after. "Might as well load up, here." She semi-explained, getting up for a second cup.   
It was a good point. He agreed silently by getting another turnover for himself... and maybe a bagel. 

Considering there was absolutely nothing she could do to get any more "ready to wait" than she already was, Kyrie wandered back down the hall to her room. Mostly to give herself something to do while Leon did... whatever the fuck he was going to do before... whatever the fuck they were going to do.   
Also, it was to see the destruction she'd caused. She almost felt badly about it... almost. If she wound up back in her world with nothing desperately out of place, _then_ she might actually feel some real sense of guilt. Possibly. It wasn't _so_ bad, really... just... messy... with a nice breeze. Yeah.   
Not much else to stare at in her room, she wandered back down the other side of the hall. Hey, she'd never been there before, may as well see if there was anything interesting to poke at... apparently, however, it was a little alcove that was not meant to be seen. Leon was sitting in the filtered light, sharpening an incredibly elaborate-looking sword. What happened to the gunblade, she dared not guess... but ducking just a little to the side allowed her to see more of his face, his hair tucked behind his ear for the work. The sound of her breathing became patterned after the sleek motion of the whetstone against the blade to hide her presence. She just... couldn't look away.   
How she desired, how she _longed_ for, just one more moment with her dad... Of course, Leon was not him. She knew that. She just... wanted to... see him. One more time. From a distance. Watching his blue eyes focus, his hands work diligently in a steady count, an air of relaxed concentration pervading... so close to what she remembered...   
"Hey." She heard whispered carefully behind her. Sora's voice--she turned to regard him.   
Keeping very quiet, he finally inquired, "What'cha doin'?"   
Her lips jumped upward a little. She was getting that strong sibling vibe from him again. "Getting the chance to remember better." That was all it was, really. Just... one more moment.   
He watched her carefully, turning to once again peer secretly at Leon while he worked. He suspected that it would be far more rude to suggest she not spy than to let her have her moment. With a nod, he left her to what she was doing; he'd seen her memories, felt her pain... understood how lucky she was to have some things again, even if they weren't the same. Even if they would hurt more later. It was okay. He'd choose the same for himself, truth be told.   
He found himself being followed a moment later, however. His puzzled look must have been enough of a question. "I couldn't stay long." She admitted. "Just... a moment. That's all."   
Sora nodded understanding. "Do you have a weapon?"   
Remembering the fact that she "came through" naked left an interesting sort of grin playing behind her eyes. "Not here, apparently." She took a deep breath, glancing behind them to make sure she wasn't found out for watching. "I'd sort of like to know what to expect _before_ I find myself needing one, though."   
At that moment, the rhythmic sharpening of Leon's sword ceased. They almost felt as if they ought to break it up and go hide, as if a parent had just heard all of the noise coming from upstairs and was on their way to yell... but that seemed to die with the colder than normal expression in the already icy eyes as he walked to them, sword in his hand. It seemed the time to be ready had approached. His voice either dropped an octave... or was bled of all things but necessity. "Are you coming, Sora?"   
The boy was mildly shocked at the question. He looked to Kyrie, finding only an "up to you" shrug. Well... why not? It might help, somehow. "Sure." Extra person to fight, eyes to see...   
Leon turned to lead them out--but Kyrie stopped him with a simple question. "Don't I get something sharp?"   
It struck him as an odd thing to ask. "You don't need to fight. You just need to stay between us and move quickly."   
_Pft._ "I can fight. I just need a weapon."   
"It's too dangerous." He seemed to think the argument was over, turning to walk on.   
"Oh I'm fucking quivering." She announced, drab and deadpan. "No, seriously. Look at me shake. Fear races in my heart."   
Leon looked... intensely unhappy with her attitude. "You could get yourself killed." He insisted coldly. "We may have to wander for hours to come across the rift again."   
_You've got no idea what I've been through._ She grinned, keeping that thought to herself. "What am I worried about? I've got a big strong fella to protect me. And you."   
A beat of silence followed. "_Fine._" He relented with a hiss just to get her to stop. "Take a weapon from down the hall."   
_Winner._ She tried not to look smug about it... after all, there was no need to _completely_ destroy him. She was mercifully quick about looking through the small cache of swords for something that felt relatively good in her hand... but couldn't help but notice no gunblades amongst them. It kind of sucked, really, seeing as how she was so used to Eleison. Nevermind; she'd found a well-balanced, one-handed sword with a nice edge.   
The looks she got on her way to the door were somewhat priceless. Even Leon's frozen facade gave a moment's awe. Sora's eyes went wide before an appreciative look of support settled in his features. If she'd only known what they'd gone through just to get that damn thing... but then, maybe she did.   
In truth, that particular section of his life wasn't exactly a glittering memory that made it through in tact... but she did get the fact that it was an unexpected prize for a very difficult battle. Hey, it was weighted perfectly for her--worthwhile, in her book. "So... what the hell do we do now?"   
"Wait." Leon repeated, already turning to walk out. "We find a spot... and wait."   
_Sounds like a good time._ She was assuming that voicing such a comment may have actually sent the poor boy over the edge... and she didn't want to do that. Too much. 

It was actually unusually quiet on their way around "town". Kyrie could have sworn that she saw glowing eyes from the shadows every so often, but nothing ever materialized. Interesting. She wasn't sure that she wanted to know what was in there, anyway.   
Sometime after the second hour of seemingly useless wandering and silently threatening eyes that lurked in the darkness, it was time to sit down somewhere safe and take a short rest. Leon selected the half-fallen shell of what used to be the item shop, later to be referred to as "almost four walls and no roof" by Yuffie. The three of them sat on the steps at various angles, making certain that they wouldn't be surprised.   
"Still waiting, are we?" Kyrie began delicately.   
"Yes." Leon's answer was both utterly direct and distant.   
Something about the girl staring at him with narrowed eyes, he didn't seem to appreciate much. He was one instant from his classic catch phrase before she handed it to him first. "Whatever." The word made her eyes sparkle a little, signaling that Leon wasn't in as much trouble as he seemed to think he initially was.   
Sora had momentarily taken his attention off of watching for enemies to see the foreign and yet somehow connected interaction between them. Both longing to know... to exchange, compare... Maybe, if... He lifted with a stretch. "I think I'll just take a little walk around. Make sure nothing's listening."   
"You don't have to..." Kyrie began, hoping she hadn't made him feel like he was being left out.   
"No, it's okay." His smile was warm, possibly giving just the slightest wink to her. "You two just... talk."   
She knew he was only trying to help... but she knew, too, that Leon was giving her a _look_ out of the corner of his eye. She waited until Sora had more or less disappeared from sight before insisting, "Wasn't my idea."   
He made a gruff sound in his throat... but seemed to believe her. "He still tries to get everything to fix itself."   
It was an interesting statement to be made, she thought. "Maintaining that hope."   
With a quiet sound of acknowledgment he lowered his eyes, looking away for a long time. Finally, the question that had been eating at him slowly, cautiously made its way to the surface. "Just tell me... is Laguna... alive? In your... world?"   
"Yeah." For a long moment, she wondered whether he wanted to hear any more... but the silence was too deafening not to fill. "He's my grandfather... the President of Esthar... I visit him a lot."   
Never seeming more like a lost and lonely boy, Leon nodded once, quickly. "Did he love his son?"   
It kind of... ached to hear that question asked. Her dad never had any _doubt_, per se... he just didn't know how the hell to react to a sudden "father figure" who had even less of an idea of how to react to a son. "Very much."   
Another quiet moment without motion, without eye contact. "And... and Seifer, you say... was your..?"   
"My father." She finished, gently. "Laguna loved him just as much, I believe." The man was full of love, what could she say... He talked too much, had a severe caffeine addiction (at least she could say it ran in her family) and participated perfectly in hyper-active pursuits of short-term memory and an inability to sit still for long periods of time, but... the man had a good heart.   
"And your... your dad...?" he paused to glance at her--but only for the split second it took to read her--making sure his terms were correct. "He... loved Laguna... right?"   
She could hardly help but wonder just what could have possibly gone on in his world... but to ask seemed somehow extremely inappropriate. If not altogether wrong. "He did. There were some difficult times, but... there always are."   
He nodded, haunted by a lifetime of alternate and seemingly painful memories. "I'm... not in the habit of apologizing... especially not for others..."   
_Oh Hyne, no..._ "Leon, stop. Please."   
"I need to--"   
"No." She broke him off at the source. "No you don't. There's nothing to apologize for. There never was and there never will be. Not on any front." There had never been forgiveness to be sought. Not from her real parents, and certainly not from a similar enough man from an alternate dimension that had nothing to do with her life at all.   
He swallowed, taking her refusal to listen as something of a real pardon. "But, Seifer... was he... alright? I mean... I... I don't know what I mean..."   
"He was guilt-ridden." She answered honestly. "But... by the end there... I know he understood that it wasn't entirely... _his_..." She closed her eyes, forcing herself not to tear up. She remembered his death from Sephiroth's own eyes... and to think of it again, feeling so much closer than it had in a long time... "I hope to Hyne that he knew it even when he died."   
He could hardly find it in himself to make a sound of agreement, let alone ask what must be asked to clear his mind... "Were you there?"   
What a question. "Yes and no." She paused to try and articulate it in her head. "Not for the... act. But I suppose I've... seen the memories of it. And the effects."   
Even though he was trying his best to look away, Leon noticed the shudder ravaging her shoulders for the bitter whole of a second. Not much... but enough. And still so much to ask... Maybe things worked out better in her world. "What about... the rest of your life? Friends, family..."   
Well, what to tell him... there was a lot to say and so few ways to say it. "I've a rather small, odd, close group of friends... My husband is the son of Irvine and Selphie." He certainly looked wide-eyed at that; but she continued. "Elle and Quistis behave as my aunts, albeit on completely opposite ends of the spectrum..."   
"And... Zell?" his tone was timid.   
She took a quiet, sharp breath. "Suicide." She simplified--perhaps a little too harshly.   
He was glad for it, though. Easier to just... have it all out in the open like that. "Yeah."   
The thought that Zell may well be fated to commit suicide in more than one universe gave her the shivers. "Why?" she didn't know if she should be asking.   
He shook his head. "I really don't know. He was always a little... 'off', I guess. And..?"   
A lead weight settled in her stomach. She could help but blame herself, a little... couldn't help but know... "He found out about Squall and Seifer... getting together, years ago... didn't take it so well. As far as I know it was all fine... and then I visited him. I just... had to see if there was anything I could lay to rest. Happened to tell him they were both dead... I imagine that sent him over."   
"Oh." So, a little guilt for her, as well.   
"Things never can be fucking simple." She agreed, softly.   
"Serves us all right for being alive." His voice was a croak with the words.   
"You should know better." She commented... then laughed a little. "Sorry. I was talking to my dad for a minute there."   
"It applies just the same." He admitted.   
She shook her head, the oddity of the conversation really hitting her. Where was home, she wondered... was it still in tact? It had to be... just had to be...   
"Leon!" they heard, semi-hushed around the corner; Sora's voice as he darted toward them. "There's a... glowing wall by the fountain. It looks like there might be something opening up."   
"That's it." He confirmed, lifting. "We better hurry."   
Kyrie was not about to disagree. She leapt up and jogged along with the others, keeping her eyes out for the shifting shadows that seemed to close in behind them. Just too freaky.   
Of course, that was nothing compared to finally seeing this "glowing wall". Maybe she'd expected one of those glow-in-the-dark things that you had to charge in the light before they gave off a faint green glow... but the wall Sora had spoken of, next to a lovely fountain, was... emanating something close to daylight, if not a little weaker. In the center of the brightness was a... hole. No normal hole in the wall, but a hole through... something far more vast than bricks and wood. Time and space, she'd have said instantly. A hole into absolute darkness. It was hard to do much more than stand there and stare.   
"You'll have to wait until it's completely open." Leon informed her.   
"Which shouldn't take too long." Sora chimed in, turning around to make sure everything was in order. The Heartless had been a little quiet that evening... And true, perhaps it had been Yuffie at work again... but they were usually plotting with their small but sharp little brains when they were that quiet.   
Movement. Kyrie surprised them both when her arm moved without thought, sword making the extension of the limb and slicing a tiny Heartless in half. She took a moment to stare down at is as it... _melted_. _Ew._   
"There will be a lot more than that to worry about." Leon assured her, getting in front and exploring the shadows with his eyes. Some little glows here and there... they were surrounding. Moving. Wondering if they could get the upper hand.   
"Sounds like a fun time." She quipped with a touch of annoyance. As long as the little bastards didn't interrupt her going home.   
And then something... very large darted out of a dark corner, landing with an incredible earth-shaking thud in front of them. _What_ it was, Kyrie dared not venture to guess. It was big, scary, and ugly--not to mention it had a look in its orange eyes that said it would have liked to tear their skin from their bodies and wear it as fashion.   
"Go for the legs." Sora whispered quickly, harshly. He darted forward immediately after, leaping up and lunging at the beast's head.   
There was no hesitation--Leon took off in one direction, Kyrie in the other. The legs, he'd said... well, the beast had six of them. Maybe a hexadragon connection..? No time to think of those things, though; she angled the sword and chopped straight at a knee joint.   
_What the..!_ The sword... would not come back. It was more than stuck--it had instantly become part of the creature.   
_Uh-oh._ Well, that just wouldn't do at all. She wasn't... used to that. With a hard kick as the monster roared and tried to turn its massive body to swat at her, she managed to drive the sword even further in. Some yellowish gunk that must have been blood served as enough lubrication for her to saw the blade out, managing to escape without injury.   
Unharmed, yes. But she found out _why_ the sword had stuck; the yellow gore was like melted marshmallow mixed with exceptionally strong glue. Just a moment ago she couldn't get a grip on the sword; she found the opposite problem just as irritating. Seeing as how she couldn't pry it out of her hand to get a more comfortable grasp, she did the next best thing--held it with both hands like a baseball bat and got back in to chop at another leg.   
At the same time Kyrie was trying to make sense of things, Leon was discovering a similar problem. He'd gone for an inner thigh, hoping to sever a leg entirely if not make it utterly useless. Regular Heartless didn't really have blood, per se--just more of the same liquid they melted into when they were defeated, which eventually evaporated or disappeared into the ground. He found with utmost disgust that the particular Heartless he was fighting not only _bled all_ _over_ him, not only smelled of dead fish and compost, but had coated him with something very similar to tar.   
Only Sora was above the fray, literally. He'd been hacking at the head and shoulders, avoiding the sticky spray as best he could. Seeing his teammates appearing to be in some trouble, he sped it up a little. Might not be the smartest thing, considering what the bloody substance seemed to be doing to the others, but he felt he had no choice but to go directly for the throat.   
It was as much a move of luck as it was of skill; that's all it took to bring the creature down. The instant its life force was drained, the thick gore began to fall away in the usual Heartless puddles, blending into the cobblestones beneath.   
Apparently the other, much smaller Heartless, decided it may have been best to back off for a while. The eyes gleamed only a few more seconds from the shadows, then pulled away. Safe--for a few more minutes, anyway.   
Kyrie had been through a lot in terms of fighting weird monsters. It was never quite like that, though. "That was..." she paused, thinking of a term that fit. But, the default worked. "Disgusting."   
"You seem to have handled it alright." Leon commented offhand.   
"Never fuck with a Leonhart." She grinned.   
"Hm." Was the taller man's only response. Maybe the thought of having a child _wasn't_ so extremely disturbing... nah.   
She coughed in amusement at his reaction. Making a standard "what body parts may I be missing" check, she actually discovered something _gained_. In the energy of the battle, her mastered Fire materia had spawned offspring. As they did on occasion, of course; it was a matter of experience gained and energy absorbed until it finally "grew" another from itself. It was certainly an obvious enough phenomenon; she was used to the feeling of Materia inside of her as they exchanged energy. When another was birthed, it felt as if a small hot coal had begun to burn in her gut, spreading outward and radiating heat until it was formed completely. That process over, she was able to breathe deeply again.   
Well... what the hell. A parting gift. They were watching her with curiosity, wondering why her breathing had shifted suddenly to shallow gasping, so she believed she may as well give them a show. Calling up the new Materia, its essence ran in a bright line from her chest to her hand until the object itself rested, suspended, just above her palm. Whew. That was the easiest first Material calling _ever_.   
The gentleman stared with wide eyes, jaws slack. Apparently neither were quite aware of Materia--though they did know of summoning jewels. The glowing thing in her hand didn't look or behave like _those_, though.   
She winked, the orb in her hand levitating higher. "Materia." She clarified very little. "Try it out." She invited both of them. "Could help you. Ask Cloud about it."   
Leon made no move to accept the gift, having absolutely no desire to touch something he know less than nothing about. Sora, on the other hand, stepped forward gladly. Curiosity was something that would always get the upper hand in his mind, and he was certainly willing to give it a try. "What... do I do with it?"   
She tilted her head, trying to put it into words. It'd been more shown to her than described... so she assumed perhaps it may be best for him that way, too. "Extend your hand. You'll... catch on quickly."   
Not quite the explanation he was hoping for, he took a deep breath... and a leap of faith. He held his palm out in the same fashion she did, slowly reaching forward--   
The Materia sensed Kyrie's intention, slowly floating from her palm to Sora's. He shivered at the touch of the orb; it was warm and cold at once, an obvious source of energy... but comfortable, somehow. It was when the orb was actually _absorbed_ into his skin that he started, but only initially. It wasn't the mild pain so much as it was the extremely unnatural feeling of solid Mako, a substance that he'd never encountered before, finding its way deep in his chest and spinning there slowly. It made him gasp to realize what had happened, almost spreading into panic--before his battle-taught instincts took over, forcing himself to calm down.   
"Alright?" she asked quietly, having seen him flinch and shudder as he closed his eyes tightly.   
He nodded, taking another deep breath before opening his eyes again. "That was different." He admitted, taking a long moment just to feel the Materia move inside of him. "N-now what?"   
She grinned at his eagerness. "Close your eyes. Picture the Materia inside your chest. When you want to use it, imagine a line of energy from the Materia to your hand."   
He blinked at her explanation. It seemed so... simple for her. With a swallow, he did as he was instructed, slowly--then a fragment of memory shared sparked in the back of his thoughts. It was only bits and pieces of her Cloud having trained her in the basics of using the orbs, but it was helpful to feel it the way she'd experienced it.   
Leon couldn't deny his own curiosity of the situation. He watched through a veil of indifference, taking note of every subtle reaction of Sora's--unable to help the softly amazed sound that escaped when a small but noticeable spark burst into the air from Sora's fingers.   
"Wow." Kyrie commented honestly. "That was good."   
Sora beamed proudly. "This is... Fire..?"   
She nodded, glad to see their shared memories were helping him out. "It can get a little dangerous if you're pissed off, but otherwise it's fun."   
Leon had... some indication that seeing the girl pissed off would be a great danger _without_ Materia... However, back to the matter at hand. The gateway had opened enough for her to pass through, and that was all that they were after for the moment. "This might be your only chance right now." He indicated the glowing wall with a subtle glance, ignoring the fact that he'd have liked to continue learning about her world. It didn't really matter, did it..?   
She nodded, knowing it to be the truth. "Okay." Her tone grew quiet. Too calm, in its own right. "Do something for me, though. However this turns out."   
The stoic brunette swallowed--trying his best not to let the sound rise above his own breathing. "What?"   
_Why_ she was saying it wasn't clear... but she felt a desire too strong _not_ to say it. "Don't grow cold. Either of you."   
The normally good-natured look about Sora's face paled, just a little--but in no more than the blink of an eye, it returned. He understood even if he wasn't quite sure it was a conscious effort. She had to be quick to get through before the portal closed and disappeared again, so he simplified his feelings. "I bet I'll see you again." He smiled.   
And she'd never been more grateful for, or more absolutely reassured by, a smile. It was genuine. Sincere. And it made him look younger than when she'd first met him. How she wanted to have the chance to get to know him better... she had a feeling they'd get along quite well. She _knew_ she'd be kicking herself for it, but... "Hey. If the situation is really dire... let me know."   
"Hmph." Leon almost seemed to... joke.   
That, too, made her happy. She grinned at him, then winked. "Believe me, if you weren't the spitting image of my dad, I'd be all over you." The instant she saw him brace himself for non-reaction, she pushed even further. "Oh, hell with it. Daddy was gorgeous; com'ere, you."   
While Leon's expression dropped into some form of deeply disturbed fear, Sora laughed. His humor had certainly gotten darker over the years... and Kyrie's memories didn't help that any. Even if she had to go... the Keyblade Master felt generally _good_ about her presence, and their exchange. Something was... complete about it. Aware their time was short, he gave her a good-bye hug without the need to put thought into it.   
Even though she certainly hadn't expected that move, she closed her eyes, savoring the short exchange. The embrace seemed so oddly familiar even though she knew it shouldn't. It was just... nice. She could settle for that. "_Is_ there anything I can do in my own world?" she let herself ask, almost fearful of the answer.   
"Use the strength of your heart." Sora responded, pulling back to show her laughing blue eyes. "Just... think about us once in a while. Remember."   
_Whew. That's a change._ She smiled. "That, I can do." Releasing, she turned and grinned at the one who was trying far too hard to pretend to ignore them. "Oh, come on, Leon. It's the only chance you'll ever get for something this insane to happen."   
Or so he hoped. "No, thanks." He almost pouted, refusing a showing of affection.   
"That's a young Squall, alright." She joked, taking what was offered as a sign that everything just might be okay after all.   
Time _was_ short; the portal had expanded as much as it was going to without extending into the ground. It was more an instinctual feeling than anything, signaling it was now or never.   
Kyrie had to admit to herself that she was scared. That darkness could extend anywhere... and some of Sora's memory flashes made her stomach roll with the possibilities. Still... something else called to her. Something safe and warm... and of home. Once last glance at the two behind her, she took a breath and forced her way through--   
Into nothing.   
Well, not _nothing_. She'd _been_ in _nothing_ before. What she experienced was more like... warmth. Not falling, not flying, not floating... just...   
It was so... warm... welcoming... inviting...   
Hands, outstretched... recognizable, welcomed... _Hands..._

Silence, save for her breathing. Darkness... but of the more comfortable variety. It was a _known_ darkness. A warm, reaching darkness of familiar smells and familiar patterns of... very dim, dappled moonlight.   
The living room. On the couch, specifically. Her heart was beating a million miles a second; she took a deep breath and noted that it was indeed her living room. At night. With the lights off. And a very, very faint sound...   
She turned toward it as quietly as she could, noting it slightly underneath her and to the side... on the floor by the couch... _Breathing._   
It came flooding back to her: Vincent. He'd stayed. Absolutely _amazingly_, he'd stayed. Granted he was on the floor while she was on the couch, but... what a gesture.   
She just couldn't help herself... with silent, slow motions, she reached down to brush his shoulder. Just to see if he was really there, if it _all_ hadn't been some stupid, insane dream... it must have all been a dream--   
"You fell asleep." He accused without moving, without opening his eyes.   
Not a surprise, she supposed. He was probably waiting for her to wake up. But... fucking Hyne. She didn't _miss_ orgasm, did she! --Wait. There were a few more important matters to attend to... somehow. "You fucked me into oblivion."   
He let himself chuckle at that, then threw it off to be ignored. "Thought I should get both of us decent before your slaves came down and decided to jump me."   
What a thought. "I never would have forgiven any of you for having missed that." While her voice had been joking, there felt like a serious threat rested underneath... but nevermind. She sat up, in her own clothes, on her own couch, noting the way Vincent's eyes sparkled slightly in the dark. After the dream she'd just had, she really needed a distracting conversation. "Aww, we didn't cuddle."   
"How would you know?" he scoffed. "You were asleep."   
"Oh, I'd know. Believe me." She chuckled to herself, leaning back against the couch and just... absorbing the moment. Would wonders never cease. "Hey, Vinnie..." she started out far too quietly. Her curiosity was killing her. "Did you and Cloud ever... fight? I mean, like... literally wanting to kill each other kind of fight?"   
There was an awful lot of silence after that question. It seemed so... out of place, to put it lightly. "No." He answered first, followed quickly by, "Dreaming?"   
She hoped he couldn't see her cringe... but she knew better. She was certain he could see in the dark just as well as John could. Still, she kept her voice level. Normal. "I hope so."   
His stomach dropped with that sentiment. She... didn't know... if she was dreaming...   
"So..." she broke with a practiced hand, "Wanna cuddle?"   
Normally, he never would have let a thing like that go so easily... but nothing about that moment was normal. "I don't think you deserve anything after falling asleep."   
"Pft." She settled on, pretending to pout a bit... and really doing so, in her mind. Something else needed asked... something even deeper than that. "Nothing's..."   
He knew the question by heart, having asked it himself only moments ago. "No." Nothing had changed. Nothing ever would.   
Well, good. Next question... "And... did you happen to... uh..." She had no idea how to give voice to her concern. It was a _big_ concern, granted, but... it seemed more than just a little horrible to have asked.   
"I'm sterile, Ky." He blurted with no hesitation.   
Wow. Good to know. Though she wondered how he knew that to be true. "Are you sure about that one?"   
"Completely." He assured. "Medically sound."   
That was just to amusing. "And how did this come up..?"   
"Sometimes the Presidential Estate gets boring."   
Even though her eyes were just beginning to adjust to the moonlight, she knew the mild grin on his lips was certainly devious. "So you meander over to the on-site hospital and knock a few off?"   
"I was curious." Somehow he managed to answer her question, and completely slough it off at the same time.   
She returned the favor with a tease. "I'm honored, Vinnie."   
Even in the dark that slight glare was obvious. "I didn't say it was for your benefit."   
"And you didn't have to." She continued jokingly.   
Well, if that was how she was going to play it... "Go on." He indicated the stairs with a subtle jerk of his head. "You've got two particular someones waiting for you."   
And she wanted very much to go see them after that dream, honestly... but... "I'd rather you not leave..." _I'd rather you not have to go back to wherever it is you spend the night, by yourself... after this..._   
"This isn't a one-time thing?" he grinned, just a little.   
Her eyes narrowed even as her expression softened. "Now that all depends on you." She teased.   
He shook his head, shifting the subject. "Go on." He invited again. "I'll stay here, if you'd prefer. But only if I get breakfast."   
"Damn your demands." She tossed back... glad to give into them. "Agreed. I'll see you in the... well, afternoon, probably."   
"_Morning_." He corrected. "Or it is not _breakfast_."   
"Damn. The things I do for you." She narrowly avoided a look that may well have killed in large doses, finding her way easily up the stairs and to the bedroom. 

It was too bad both of her boys were already sleeping... but she was glad for it. Carefully, moving as slowly and accurately as a cat, she slid into bed... and snuggled between them. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes; her universe was in tact. How she wished she could go back and tell Sora... to have faith...   
But then, that _had_ been a dream... hadn't it? Despite the real feeling of it... the real emotion... the _memories_...   
A dream? She wondered... and really, she didn't want to know right then. But that Riku sure was a hottie.   
Sheesh. Her and her white-haired bitches.

* * *

Wait wait wait. Don't give up on me yet. This is just a side story, sort of kind of (not really) explaining some "things" for the next actual Sins universe story. Getting back to the roots, my dear fans; Kyrie's insane adventuring isn't over yet. Check out the next story, Ties That Bind and Tear Apart.   
If you'd like to be e-mailed when I update, drop me a line with whatever story/stories/website you'd like me to inform you of. 


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